Could It Be B12 Review

Could It Be B12 Review

Could It Be B12? An Epidemic Of Misdiagnosis is the most important book I have read in decades. In it the authors, Sally Pacholok R.N. and her physician husband Jeffrey Stuart D.O., clearly, concisely and convincingly call our attention to a condition that exists in epidemic numbers.

The authors shine the light of day on the fact that deficiency of vitamin B12, a vital nutrient, is much more common than most doctors ever realized. They show that the current standard for what constitutes a normal level of vitamin B12 on a blood test is in fact woefully inadequate, and a fraction of the amount necessary to support optimal health and prevent a whole array of conditions directly attributable to B12 deficiency. Pacholok is on a mission to call attention to this often unrecognized deficiency and to raise the bar of what constitutes a healthy level of B12 when measured by blood test.

Pacholok gives scientific proof and compelling statistical evidence that B12 deficiency is responsible for, or a contributor to a whole host of neurological conditions, as well a psychiatric disorders. This list includes Alzheimer’s, and senile dementia as well as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. It also is a possible cause in cases of infant and juvenile failure of normal neuro-musculoskeletal and arrested intellectual development. This book is rich in case histories of real people whose doctors failed to make what should have been an easy diagnosis of B12 deficiency, but instead of running a simple, inexpensive blood test, opted for other expensive tests, often including costly CAT scans. They instead came up with more exotic and dire diagnoses and treatments. Pacholok shows us that a high percentage of falls and fractures by senior citizens are caused by B12 deficiency. That some of the most commonly prescribed drugs like Nexium and Prilosec as well as oral diabetic medications to name only a few contribute to B12 deficiency. Popular gastric bypass surgeries virtually guarantee that the recipient will develop a B12 deficiency.

This book is a “must read” for all doctors. It is extremely relevant to Chiropractors, like me who see many patients with a variety neck and back pain and neuropathies especially of the lower extremities, and others who consult us for injuries sustained in falls, some of which are possibly caused byB12 deficiency. Chiropractors, need to be acutely aware that it causes spinal cord degeneration, and must entertain the possibility of this deficiency especially in cases that are unresponsive to their care. We must not fall into the trap of writing off neuropathies we see in diabetics as, simply, diabetic neuropathy or old age if the patient is elderly. Doing so, we may miss the window of opportunity to help save a life, or improve the quality of a life. There are many cases of missed diagnosis which, if they had been caught in the early stages, before permanent neurological damage had been done, could have, saved lives or prevented permanent disability.

The bottom line is that Vitamin B12 deficiency is much more common than most of us have realized. That recognizing it, diagnosing it and treating it is easy and inexpensive. Doing so, any doctor willing to open his/her eyes can contribute to saving lives as well as restoring and preserving quality of life for millions of people while saving billions of dollars in health care costs and personal finances. The early recognition of B12 deficiency can help the twilight years be enjoyable and rewarding as opposed to the exercise in endurance it becomes for too many. That constitutes a win/win in my book.